WOONSOCKET – The Woonsocket 125th anniversary Block Party will take place on Thursday, Aug. 29, with thousands expected to crowd into the city's downtown for an evening of food, fun and entertainment, and the event will shut down several roads resulting in RIPTA bus detours. A free shuttle will be provided for guests to the event, who are encouraged to park outside of the congested city center, and a new stop was added to the route Thursday morning.

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority will detour Route 54 (Lincoln/Woonsocket) and Route 87 (Fairmount/Walnut Hill) on Aug. 29 with detours taking effect from 3:30 p.m. until the end of the day. Main Street will be closed to all traffic from Monument Square to Market Square. While this detour is in effect, RIPTA buses will not service the Woonsocket Depot and that bus stop will be temporarily relocated from 3:30 on. The Route 54 and Route 87 buses will instead stop at Bernon Street, near the Hava Java Coffee Shop. Passengers will board and alight during this time on Bernon Street, near Vintage Restaurant.

For Route 54, local service will continue to operate along South Main Street, Providence Street and 146A. Outbound Express service will drop passengers off at the Hava Java Coffee Shop or along Clinton Street.

Route 87 east bound and west bound trips will travel on River Street between Market Square and Fairmount. Trips will not service Verry Street, Harris Avenue, and Railroad Street during this time. Connections to Route 87 east bound will also be available on Clinton Street, North East of Truman Drive. Connections to Route 87 west bound and Route 54 Inbound will be available on Social Street North East of Worrall Street. More information is available by phone at 401-781-9400 or by visiting ripta.com.

The Block Party Shuttle has added a stop in from of World War II Memorial Park on Social Street, making the final list of pick up and drop-off locations as follows:
1. Woonsocket Middle Schools, two stops:
Florence Drive at the Hamlet Footbridge
Hamlet Middle School Main Entrance
2. St. Ann’s Arts & Cultural Center – Parking lot side
3. Castle Luncheonette on Social Street
4. Entrance to WWII Park on Social Street
5. Corner Federal Street and Worrall Street, across from rear entrance of the Woonsocket Post Office
6. Rear of Hanora-Lippett complex, on Main Street by-pass at the traffic light
7. Corner of Front Street and Hamlet Avenue in front of the old courthouse.

Buses will proceed back to the first location with two buses running continuously about 15 minutes apart until midnight. One bus is wheelchair accessible.

The following items are not allowed on the buses, which have been provided free of charge by Valley Transportation: food or drink, coolers, backpacks, skateboards, bicycles, and animals.